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Kingdoms of Kar
The Kingdoms of Kar, or The Kingdoms, or Kar, are a united collective of kingdoms on the western end of the continent of Tayun. The aforementioned kindoms are: The Kingdom of The Dragon, The Kingdom of The Horse, The Kingdom of the Moon, The Kingdom of The Eagle, The Kingdom of The Snake, The Kingdom of Waves, The Kingdom of The Sun, The Kingdom of The Stag, The Kingdom of The Wolf, The Kingdom of The Ram, The Kingdom of The Crow, and The Kingdom of the Mage. All twelve of these kingdoms were founded individually before joining together under King Horold Kar of the Kingdom of The Horse to combat a massive goblin invasion in The First Blood Peak Goblin War. Social Hierarchy The Kingdoms of Kar are a socially stratified society,with a well-defined hierarchy dividing the classes. Kings Kings are exactly what they seem to be. The leader of one of the twelve kingdoms. Most of the kingdoms are ruled by a single royal family which has ruled for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Lords Lords are the king's hand throughout a kingdom. They typically govern cities and towns, and live a life of luxury. Lords are named by the king, so they often include personal friends of the king or retired knights of the kingdom who performed well enough to earn the spot. Their responsibilities include collecting taxes from the peasants and making sure their knights are in good condition. Knights Knights are the lifeblood of The Kingdoms. They fight bravely to protect The Kingdoms and to uphold Straya's Justice. The title of knight is hereditary, and young sons of knights are typically trained from a young age. They first perform duties as a squire, attending to a full knight before being knighted themselves. As decreed by The Church of Straya and The Commandments of Justice, knights of The Kingdoms fight only with swords or lances. Armies of The Kingdoms are comprised almost entirely of knights, so unique battle strategies are often necessary to secure victory. This is where Kingdom Mages come into play. Mages Unlike knights, the title of a mage is only skill-based, and not hereditary. Mages can come from any walk of life in The Kingdoms, from peasantry to kings. Children found to have magical talent will make a journey to The Kingdom of The Mage to be taught by the greatest masters of their craft. Mages in The Kingdoms learn very few, if any offensive spells, as they are typically deemed unjust in the eyes of knights and priests of Straya. Instead, they learn a variety of defensive boons to help their armies overcome their restrictions in battle. For instance, a group of mages may shelter a batallion of charging knights from their foes' arrows until they can close the distance and make use of their lances. Most lords and kings also keep a court wizard on hand to help with anything that magic could speed or make possible. Priests Priests of Straya are regarded with essentially the same reverence as knights. They are responsible for all the blessings placed upon the knights and their equipment. Most priests inherit the position from their mothers or fathers, but some are knights who are unfit to fight, whether it is because of injury or illness, the Church of Straya welcomes them into its arms. Becoming a priest takes years of training, as there are many rituals and methods of calling upon the power of their goddess. Peasants Peasants are what keeps the Kingdoms moving along. They do all the manual labor and don't get much back for it. Prior to the year 762 KC, peasants had very little rights. They were assigned to do whatever work their lords told them to, and they weren't allowed to keep anything more than was absolutely necessary for themselves. In 762 KC however, the peasants banded together and revolted against the nobility. Their sheer numbers allowed them victory, and a new system was drawn up. In the present Kingdoms of Kar, peasants are allowed to do with their lives whatever they see fit, so long as they pay their monthly taxes. Peasants are still not allowed to leave their kingdom without their lord's permission, but they can move freely within their own kingdom. Peasants are not allowed to worship Straya. Instead, they worship a variety of deities, the most common being Hokel, God of Crops, and Phen, Patron God of Hunters. Exiles In The Kingdoms, criminals are viewed as the lowest sort of trash. All the towns are heavily policed by resident knights and mages, and crime is not tolerated. When a criminal is convicted, they are sent by boat to The Skull Plains, an area in the southeast of Tayun which the Kingdoms loosely claim as their own territory. Here, the exiles are forced to eke out a life from the barren land. Since this is also where the dead are brought for burial, many of them are forced to work as gravediggers, and some choose to work as graverobbers. Geography The Kingdoms of Kar can be broken up into two different regions: The Mainland, and The Skull Plains. The Mainland, home to all twelve kingdoms, is bordered by The Western Blood Peaks to the east, and the Western Ocean to the north, south and west The Mainland is generally flat, fertile land, marked by gently rolling hills. The weather is typically fair, with pleasant summers and relatively cold winters. The Skull Plains, home to the exiles and dead of The Kingdoms, are bordered to the north by the Eastern Blood Peaks, and by the Western Ocean to the west, south and east. The Skull Plains are a barren wasteland of grey stone, making it very difficult, if not impossible, for inhabitants to eke out any sort of a living. Weather here is harsh, with a wide variation of temperature from day to night. Religion Members of the upper class (Kings, Lords, Knights, Priests) in The Kingdoms are required by law to worship Lady Straya, while lower classmen (Peasants, Exiles) worship any number of gods, including Hokel and Phen. Mages typically worhsip Letiera, though some worship Lady Straya as well. Government The Kingdoms are governed by The Council of Kings. This council meets twice yearly, making decisions based on a popular vote among the kings. The council is led by the Moderator, a position which rotates between the twelve kings on a yearly basis. During the second meeting of The Council of Kings, The Commandments of Justice were drawn up, providing a legal framework upon which the Kingdoms operate to this day. Economy The Kingdoms operate on a mostly agricultural economy. Peasants produce food, which is highly taxed by knights and lords. These upper-class citizens were traditionally in charge of all inter and intranational trade, but since the Peasant Revolt of 762 KC, peasants have been known to rise to mercantile power. The different kingdoms and cities within The Kingdoms of Kar normally specialize in different crops or trades. Currency The currency used withing the Kingdoms is a simple system consisting of three types of coins. This system of currency was established at the first king's council in the year of 16 KC. The kings decided they needed a unified system of currency to avoid conflicts between kingdoms and problems with trade. The King -- This coin bears the face of the king currently ruling in the kingdom where it was minted. It also displays the year in which it was minted. On the reverse side, a sword and shield, representing Straya and the knights of the Kingdoms. Kings are minted in gold. (Also called King Pieces) The Lord -- This coin bears an image of a crown on the front, with a shield on the reverse. It displays the year of its minting, and also the kingdom in which it was minted. The coins are minted in silver, and 1 king is worth 10 lords. (Also called Lord Pieces or Lordies) The Knight -- The knight bears an image of an orante helm on the front side, with a sword on the reverse. It is a simpler image, minted in copper or bronze. 1 lord is worth 100 knights. (Also referred to as K's). Simple Conversion Table